Sweetfern, Comptonia peregrina, is neither sweet nor a fern, but is one of my favorite plants. It looks like something the dinosaurs would have walked through, and smells like all the warmest, spiciest, most magical aromas of imagination.

The rain continued to fall. We were comfortably sheltered, but my sketchbook stayed in the pack because I painted another iris last night:

and I kind of like this one. Didn't want it rained upon.

So for a while I just played "Treats!" with Piper,

and looked at many things,

and took a lot of photographs.

Piper loves playing "Treats!"

Still the light rain fell.

We began to wend our way back up from the stream

toward the path and home.

I stopped to take a few pictures of wild iris,

and water flowing over stones.

And then - the rain stopped!

So I plunked myself down right there in the path

and tried to paint the view from my sketching chair:

And Piper helped.

Painting really takes a lot out of Piper. When we got home, she inhaled a big bowl of food, hopped up on her couch, and went straight to sleep. She's been sleeping ever since, with a floor fan providing a gentle breeze.

It's after 7 PM and I'm heading out to feed the goats for the evening. Once that's done, I may have a big bowl of food and go to sleep myself. The fan will be staying on.

Dear readers...

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